Treadmills and other perambulatory exercise devices such as walkers, ellipticals, and the like often incorporate handles, poles or the like which are independently movable of one another for enabling the user to achieve additional exercise of the upper body. Weight lifting machines or other strength training apparatuses also incorporate various engagement members for a user to engage with the device. In one aspect, it has been discovered that significant improvements may be achieved to these various devices by incorporating one or more resistance bands into such exercise devices.
In this regard, one aspect of the disclosure relates to an improved exercise device of the type having independently movable handles which offers enhanced exercise attributes. In a preferred embodiment, the device includes an elongate handle member having a first portion pivotally mounted to a base, a second portion opposite the first portion configured for grasping by a user, and a resistance system operable with the handle.
The resistance system includes an elastic band having a first end portion connected to the elongate handle member adjacent the first portion of the handle, a second end portion fixedly positionable relative to the first end portion of the elastic band, and a tension fulcrum positioned so that the band extends around the tension fulcrum. As the elongate handle member is moved in a first direction the movement thereof is resisted by the band to provide resistance exercise to the user.
In other aspects, the resistance system may be adapted to a wide variety of exercise devices to provide resistance to exercise motion. In such devices, including treadmill and weight lifting devices, the exercise device includes a resistance system operably associated with a user engaging member to provide resistance exercise to a user during movement of said user engaging member by said user.
The resistance system includes an elastic band having a first end portion connected to said user engaging member, a second end portion fixedly positionable relative to the first end portion of the elastic band, and a tension fulcrum positioned so that the band extends around the tension fulcrum such that, as said user engaging member is moved in a first direction, the movement thereof is resisted by the band to provide resistance exercise to said user.